The present invention relates to sailboats and, in particular, to a rigging system containing shock absorbed rigging lines to facilitate boat control during gusty conditions.
Sailboats, catamarans and other leisure sailing craft (including land based craft) support numerous sails to harness wind power to propel the craft. Rope rigging is arrayed about each craft and secured to the sails and/or support booms to control the orientation of the sails relative to wind conditions. The ropes or lines particularly anchor the masts, booms and sails. One end of each rope is typically secured to the booms and/or grommets at the sails and the other end is fastened to cleats and anchoring points at the craft. Pulleys, hand cranks and a variety of accessories facilitate the manipulation of the ropes and the sails while under load in the wind. The sails are thus free to move until the anchored lines restrict further movement.
The fastening locations and/or the length of the deployed line restricts the relative angle of the sail to the mast(s) and/or other sails. The rigging is adjusted in relation to the wind to provide force vectors that direct boat movement to desired courses. The rigging must be frequently trimmed or manually attended to optimize movement and accommodate changes in the wind.
Under gusty wind and rough water conditions, a fixed, non-resilient mounting of the rigging can cause the boat to heel erratically to compensate for wind gusts. That is, even though the sails and lines stretch and relax to a limited extent with the additional forces produced with each gust, the forces eventually are transferred to the boat. These conditions can be unnerving to the inexperienced or casual sailor.
The present invention or shock absorber was developed to compensate for rough water and gusty wind conditions. The shock absorber can be incorporated into the rigging of any boat to improve handling. By incorporating one or more shock absorbers into the rigging, the rigging is able to compensate and provide a degree of relaxation in the rigging lines to compensate for sudden gusts and/or swells beyond the normal resilience of the lines and/or sails.
A spring-biased shock absorption assembly is particularly provided that can be secured in series with selected rigging lines. The assembly can also be incorporated into available booms or the hems or pockets sewn into the sails. Resiliently biased reciprocating members in the assemblies extend and retract to compensate for variable wind and water conditions that exceed a defined force and provide a buffer range of additional rigging line movement before the forces are transferred to the hull.
A mast mounting is also disclosed where a cable is suspended from an above-deck, xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d-shaped framework. A shock absorber assembly is fitted between the cable and the hull. A boom and sail are separately deployed along the cable in conventional fashion.
It is a primary object of the invention to provide a resilient assembly that can be fitted to the rigging lines of a sail powered craft to provide a range of resilient rigging line movement before the variable forces of the winds and water on the sails are transferred to the hull.
It is further object of the invention to provide a resilient rigging assembly that mounts within a boom or hem or pocket at a sail.
It is further object of the invention to provide an assembly having first and second members that are resiliently biased with springs to accommodate reciprocating motion and supporting couplers that facilitate attachment to available rigging lines.
It is further object of the invention to provide a resilient rigging assembly that includes a resiliently biased cable.
It is further object of the invention to provide a resilient rigging assembly that includes an elastomer material or a hydraulic or pneumatic chamber to resiliently bias a reciprocating piston or cable.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a resilient, mast-replacement assembly wherein a framework supports a cable that is resiliently biased relative to the hull.
The foregoing objects, advantages and distinctions of the invention are obtained in several presently preferred shock absorber assemblies that mount between available rigging lines and a boat hull. In a first assembly, a tubular housing having a line or boom coupler at one end contains a piston. The piston is resiliently biased relative to the housing to permit reciprocating piston movement. A coupler at distal end of the piston attaches to a line or anchor cleat at the boat.
In another construction, a housing of an assembly is secured in stationary relation within a sail boom. A cable extends from the housing and over appropriate pulleys to a rigging line coupler.
In still another construction, an xe2x80x9cA-shapexe2x80x9d, mast replacement framework is secured to pivot from a boat""s super structure. A cable, which essentially acts as a mast, is suspended from the apex of the framework and is secured to a resilient shock absorber mounted below deck to the cable and boat hull. A boom and sail mount to the cable with appropriate fasteners. One or more separate shock absorbers can be coupled to the boom. The mast cable and rigging lines are thus made resilient.